Chocolate Mud Cake

 

20 cm round cake pan lined with Parchment Paper

2 cups self raising Flour

½ cup Cocoa Powder

½ teaspoon Salt 

¾ cup Water 

250 grams Butter 

½ cup Milk 

4 Eggs 

2¾ cup Sugar 

220 grams Dark Chocolate chopped 

2 tablespoon Instant Coffee Powder 

2 tablespoon Oil 

Preheat oven to 150 degree C. Line the base and sides of a 20 cm deep round pan with parchment paper. Make sure the parchment comes above the pan, since it will rise so much. ▢ Now time to make the batter. Take water in a sauce pan, Add in coffee, butter, dark chocolate and heat it gently till it is melted. Add in sugar and whisk well till it is completely melted. Pour this in a bowl and set aside to cool down a bit. ▢ Now sieve flour, cocoa, and salt. Set aside. ▢ Now add in milk to the cooled chocolate mix, along with oil. Add in one egg at a time and whisk it well. Add in the sifted flour mix in and mix well to a smooth batter. ▢ Pour this in the prepared pan and pop it in oven for 1.45 hours to 2 hours. Now remove it from oven and let it cool completely. ▢ Now un mould from tin and cut the top with a serrated knife. Spoon the ganache on top and spread on all sides. Decorate as you wish. Chill in fridge for couple of hours. Serve.

Ganache:

1 ¼ cup Chocolate Chips 

½ cup Cream 

1 tablespoon Honey 

Take chocolate chips in a clean dry bowl. ▢ Take cream in a sauce pan and bring it to a simmer. ▢ Now pour this over chocolate and let it sit for 2 to 3 mins. ▢ Now use a spoon to stir gently. ▢ Now the chocolate is smooth. ▢ Add in honey and mix gently. Now ganache is done. ▢ Let it sit till it is cooled. ▢ Use this to spread over cakes..

One Bowl Banana Cake

 

4 medium ripe bananas

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 1/2 cups SR flour

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Mash bananas, then add all ingredients to mixing bowl.  Beat with electric mixer.

Bake in 22cm cake tin or equivalent for 45 mins or until skewer comes out clean.

Plum Cake

 

This makes a small cake, double the measurements for a regular sized larger cake.

3/4 cup (150 grams) plus 1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 

1/2 cup (115 grams or 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened 

2 large eggs (room temperature) 

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 

1 cup (130 grams) SR flour 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

6-7 smallish purple or red plums, halved and pitted 

Heat oven to 350°F/180°C. 

Coat a 9-inch springform pan with butter. For even easier removal, line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat butter and 3/4 cup (150 grams) of the sugar together with an electric mixer until fluffy and lighter in colour. 

Add the eggs, one at a time, and scraping down the bowl. add flour and salt over batter, and mix until just combined. 

Spoon batter into prepared cake pan and smooth the top. Arrange the plums tightly in the pan, skin side up, all over the batter, covering it. 

Sprinkle the top with remaining 1-2 tablespoons sugar. 

Bake until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into cake comes out free of batter about 30-40 minutes, depending on size of the cake. Let cool before releasing the cake from the springform pan or turning out onto a cake dish.

Poppy Seed Cake

 

1/3 cup (50g) poppy seeds 

1 cup milk 

180 gram butter, softened 

2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 cup (220g) caster sugar 

3 eggs

2 cup (300g) self-raising flour 

Mix all ingredients in electric mixer.

Pour mixture into prepared pan; bake 45 mins. 

Caramel Apple Cake

 

Topping 

1/4 cup butter 

2/3 cup packed brown sugar 

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

2 medium apples, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch wedges 

Cake 

1 1/3 cups self raising flour 

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1 cup sugar 

1/2 cup butter, softened 

2 eggs 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

1/4 cup milk 

1 cup whipping cream 

Heat oven to 325°F. Line 8-9 inch cake tin with baking paper.

 

Melt 1/4 cup butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in brown sugar. Heat to boiling; remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Pour into pan; spread evenly. 

Arrange apple wedges over brown sugar mixture, overlapping tightly and making 2 layers if necessary. 

In medium bowl, mix flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and the salt; set aside. 

In large bowl, beat 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup butter with electric mixer on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until smooth. Add vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture alternately with milk, beating after each addition until smooth. 

Spread batter over apple wedges in brown sugar mixture. 

Bake 55 to 65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Cool on cooling rack 15 minutes. 

Run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake. Place heatproof serving plate upside down over pan; turn plate and pan over. Remove pan. 

Serve warm cake with whipped cream. Store cake loosely covered.

Cinnamon Apple Honey Cake

3 medium apples 

2 tablespoons lemon juice 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

4 eggs, separated 

160g/5.6ozs. honey 

200g/7ozs. almond meal (ground almonds) 

Flaked almonds to sprinkle on top 

Preheat oven to 180C/350F and line the base and sides of a 20cm/8inch springform tin with parchment.

Peel and grate the apples and toss with the lemon zest, juice, vanilla and cinnamon and set aside.

Separate the eggs making sure that there is no yolk in the whites at all. Whisk the egg whites until you get stiff peaks. Set aside in a bowl. 

Then in another bowl beat the egg yolk and honey for a minute and then add the almond meal. 

Stir in the apple mixture and gently fold in the egg whites in four lots making sure that there are no streaks of white remaining. 

Scoop into the baking tin and sprinkle with the flaked almonds and bake for 30 minutes or until the centre springs back when touched. 

Chocolate Coconut Oat Slice

 

1 cup self-raising flour 

1 cup rolled oats 

⅔ cup dessicated coconut

⅔ cup brown sugar 

1 cup chocolate chips 

150 grams butter, melted cooled slightly 

1 egg

Preheat oven to 170°c and line a baking tray with baking paper 

In a bowl, mix all dry ingredients together except the chocolate chips (they will melt if added with the butter). 

Add the melted butter and egg. 

Mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture is combined. 

Add the chocolate chips and mix. 

Pour mixture into the baking tray and push down firmly with a spatula. 

Bake for 25-35 minutes or until firm to touch and golden on top. 

Allow to cool (it will slightly harden when cooled). Slice into desired sizes.

Poppy Seed Hamentaschen without a Rolling Pin

 

Dough

3½ cups flour 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

½ cup finely ground almonds 

250g butter 

1 cup icing sugar 

3 tablespoons caster sugar 

2 eggs 

Pinch salt 

Poppy Seed Filling 

300 grams ground poppy seeds (approx. 2⅓ cups) 

1 cup caster sugar 

1½ cups milk or orange juice 

3 tablespoons honey 

Lemon zest (optional) 

Sift flour and almonds.  Beat butter with icing sugar and caster sugar.  Add eggs to the butter.  Add the sifted flour and almonds, baking powder, and salt to the butter. Mix until dough is formed. Shape it into a log shape the width of the circles you want to make - approx 2 1/2 " in diameter. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and put in freezer for at least two hours.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook milk, sugar, and poppy seeds for 15 minutes.  Add the honey and lemon zest and cook 5 minutes more. Let cool. 

Cut frozen dough into thin slices about 1/4 inch wide. Turn dough to prevent one side getting flat. Place circles on parchment lined baking sheet.  Put about 1/2 teaspoon of filling in the middle of each circle. Fold up dough into a three pointed triangle and pinch the edges.  Bake about 10 minutes in 375℉ (180°C) oven until golden.

Almond and Raspberry Cake

2 1/2 cups frozen raspberries
6 eggs
1 cup caster sugar
2 cups almond meal


Using an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar on high speed until thick and glossy.
Using a metal spoon, gently fold in raspberries and almond meal, until combined.
Bake for 40 minutes at 160C or until golden and firm.

Orange Coconut Cake

1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
125 g butter
1 cup caster sugar
1 tbs orange rind grated
2 egg
1 1/2 cup self-raising flour

ICING
1 1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tsp soft butter
2 tbs orange juice


Combine coconut and ½ cup milk in a bowl. Stand for 1 hour.
Cream butter, sugar and orange rind until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and beat well.
Stir in flour, coconut mixture and orange juice.
Pour into a greased and lined 23 cm x 12 cm loaf tin.
Bake at 180C for 45 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
Stand for 5 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool.
Mix all icing ingredients together until smooth and spread over cake.

South African Cheese Cake

250g plain sweet biscuits [Marie]
250g butter, melted
6 eggs separated
1 cup caster sugar
500g light Philadelphia cream cheese
250g Philadelphia regular cream cheese
200ml pure cream


Preheat oven to 180 C.  You will need a deep 31 x 28 cm baking dish.

Process biscuits and mix with melted butter, press into bottom of baking dish.

Beat egg yolks until light and fluffy and gradually add sugar. Add cream cheese, one third at a time, and beat on high speed to ensure no lumps. Slowly add cream and beat until smooth.

In a separate bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the cream cheese mixture into the egg whites one third at a time, then pour mixture onto cheesecake base.

Bake 50 mins until golden brown and slightly wobbly. Serve at room temperature.

Almond Lemon Cake [Pesach Gluten Free]

Mild Olive oil for brushing pan
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups + 2 tablespoons ground almonds
1 cup castor sugar (divided into 3)
6 large eggs separated
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Grated zest of 2 lemons 

½ teaspoon salt 

½ cup flaked almonds 

Preheat oven to 175 C Grease a 21cm springform tin with olive oil and line bottom of tin Put the 2 tablespoons of ground almonds into the greased tin, shaking to coat the sides In a bowl mix together, the 2 cups ground almonds, ⅓ cup sugar and lemon zest. 

Place egg yolks into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, add ⅓ cup sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in 6 tablespoons olive oil slowly, then add the lemon juice, and lastly the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl place egg whites and the salt. Beat until soft peak gradually adding ⅓ cup castor sugar. Fold the egg whites into the almond mixture in 3 stages, then pour mixture into prepared springform tin. 

Sprinkle flaked almonds on top of cake mixture. Bake for 40 minutes until golden brown and a tester inserted into cake comes out clean. Cool completely before removing from tin. Can be made a day ahead.

Sultana Cake

80g softened butter
2/3 cup raw sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3/4 cup milk
2 cups self-raising flour
1 1/2 cups sultanas

Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and continue to beat until creamy. Gradually add milk and flour in alternate small quantities. Gently fold in the sultanas. Pour mixture into greased pan and bake for approx 35-45 mins.   

Chocolate Walnut Brownies

250 g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
150 g butter, cubed
165 g [3/4 cup] sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature, lightly whisked

75g self raising flour
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
150 g walnuts

Grease a 16 cm x 26 cm shallow slice tin.  Place the chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter have melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the saucepan. Add the  sugar and eggs to the chocolate mixture and use a whisk to stir until well combined. Sift together the flour and cocoa powder. Add to the chocolate mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in the walnuts. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and spread evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 35–40 minute.

Pesach Almond Macaroons

4 egg yolks
1 cup sugar

2 cups ground almonds

Beat egg yolks well. Add sugar, and beat until mixture is lemon colored. Add the ground almonds and mix thoroughly. Chill for one hour in the refrigerator. 

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Take small pieces of the mixture and shape into small balls - note, these cookies spread..  Place the macaroons on a greased baking sheet, 1 inch apart. Top with half an almond. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. 

Lemon Almond Sponge Cake for Pesach

Author: Jamie Schler 

The Lemon Almond Sponge Cake 
4 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
Finely grated zest and juice from ½ lemon
¼ tsp vanilla extract
½ cup ground almonds
½ cup potato flour
Pinch salt + few drops lemon juice for whites
Handful slivered blanched almonds to decorate, optional

The Warm Lemon Sauce 
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
Finely grated zest and juice from 1 lemon
2 Tbs potato starch
2 Tbs butter, cubed and softened

Instructions 

Prepare the Lemon Almond Sponge Cake: 

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Have ready a springform pan – I used a 7 ¼ inch-diameter x 4 inch-high springform but a regular 8-inch pan is fine, too. 

Separate the eggs; place the yolks in a large mixing bowl and the whites in a medium bowl, preferably plastic or metal. Add a pinch salt and a few drops lemon juice to the whites and set aside. 

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks for three or four minutes until thick and pale. Add the sugar and continue beating until thick and creamy. 

Beat in the zest and juice of ½ a lemon and the vanilla extract until well blended and thick. Quickly beat in the ground almonds. 

Using very clean beaters, beat the egg whites on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase the speed to high; beat the whites until thick, glossy and peaks hold. Do not overbeat until the whites are dry. 

Using a spatula, gently but firmly fold the stiff whites into the lemon almond cake batter in 3 additions. Fold in the potato flour with the third addition of the whites in order to avoid overworking the batter. Fold in the whites just until all the lumps of white have disappeared. 

Gently pour the batter into the springform pan. Dust with a couple of tablespoons slivered almonds. Bake in the preheated oven 30 – 45 minutes, depending on your oven and pan size. The cake is done when puffed, set and golden. Gently press on the top of the cake and it should feel set, much like an angel or sponge cake. A tester inserted in the center should come out dry. 

Remove the pan from the oven onto a cooling rack and allow to cool before unmolding. Carefully run a long, thin blade around the sides to loosen the cake while still warm. 

Prepare the Warm Lemon Sauce by first bringing the water to a boil. 

Sift the cornstarch or potato starch into the sugar in a medium heatproof bowl and stir. Whisk in the boiling water then, when smooth, return to the pan and continue cooking over low heat, whisking or stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes until thickened to the consistency of a sauce. 

Whisk in the lemon zest and juice. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter a cube at a time until the buttered is melted and incorporated and the mixture is smooth. 

Strain through a mesh strainer if necessary. Store in a jar in the refrigerator; to reheat, simply put the gelled sauce in a saucepan and heat very gently over low, stirring or whisking constantly, until pouring consistency (not too runny) and warm. Strain. Serve warm.

Hazelnut Cake [Pesach]

500g ground hazelnuts
8 egg yolks
180g caster sugar
8 egg whites

Preheat the oven to 165 degrees C. Grease and flour a 23cm springform cake tin.

Beat egg whites until stiff.

In a separate large bowl beat the egg yolks with the sugar until pale yellow in colour. Mix in the ground hazelnut mixture.

Gently fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the yolk mixture then add the remaining whites and fold in until no streaks remain. Pour into the springform cake tin. Bake in preheated oven for approx 45 minutes or until top of cake springs back when lightly tapped. Cool on wire rack.

Icing:  Melt dark chocolate with a small amount of Nuttelex margarine and spread over the top, allow time to set.
Alternatively, make a chocolate butter cream and use as a filling and icing.

Hamentaschen

4eggs
1 cup oil
1.25 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon baking powder
half teaspoon salt
5 cups plain flour
grated orange rind [optional]

Mix together all the liquid ingredients, then add dry ingredients.
Roll out and cut into circles.
Place a teaspoon of filling in centre and pinch together to form hamentaschen.

For fillings use any kind of jam,  poppy seed or nut mixture

Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 mins.

Granny's Chocolate Brownie Cake

1 Cup Cocoa
3 Cups Sugar
2 Cups Flour

2 Tsp Baking Powder [if using self raising flour, leave out baking powder]
2 Tsp Vanilla
8 Eggs
1 Cup Oil

Pinch of Salt

Mix cocoa, sugar, flour and vanilla. Add in eggs, salt and oil, mix on low speed.  Bake at 350 for 30 - 40 minutes - depending how uncooked you want it. If you want it like grannies cake then it may need 45 - 50 minutes, all depends on your oven, just keep checking!

Icing:  Melt dark cooking chocolate with some butter or margarine.  Optional: scatter 100s and 1000s on top of icing.  Cut cake into small squares.

Bon Vivant Cake

Ingredients For Base 

8 egg whites
1 cup caster Sugar
250 g  ground Hazelnuts or other ground nuts

Chocolate Topping 

8 egg yolks
125g butter or margarine
3/4 cup castor sugar
200g-250g good quality dark chocolate

Base 

Line 9"x 13"baking pan with greaseproof paper. Beat egg whites until stiff, adding 200 grams of sugar gradually. Mix in hazelnuts by hand. Put in cake tin and bake on 160C for 1/2 an hour. 

Chocolate Topping 

Melt chocolate with butter and allow to cool [use a bowl on top of a pot of boiling water so it doesn’t burn]. Beat egg yolks and sugar.  Pour cooled chocolate mixture into egg yolk mixture by hand. Pour chocolate topping over base and cook in the oven for 30 minutes [the chocolate will still be softish, it will harden up when cool]